Ski assembly



Aug. 9, 19 66 A. P. 0m 3,264,663

SKI ASSEMBLY Filed June 5,1964

1 N VE NTOR AWJr/N P. owe/vs,

United States Patent 3,264,663 SKI ASSEMBLY Austin P. Owens, NorthSyracuse, N.Y. Owens Mfg. Co. Inc., 339 Peat St., Syracuse, NY.) FiledJune 5, 1964, Ser. No. 372,886 2 Claims. (Cl. 9-310) This inventionrelates to a ski assembly, chiefly but not exclusively, for use onwater, and to flexible struts for connecting a pair of skis together andfor other purposes.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an assembly ofthe kind indicated which enables novices to start up easily and safely,and which, although a pair of skis is held in parallel relationship,permits the skis free limited flexibility relative to each other, inlateral and vertical directions, for maneuvering while traveling acrossboat wakes and rough water.

Another object of the invention is the provision of flexible struts ofthe character indicated above, which involve relatively rigid barshaving laterally offset resilient suction cups, adjacent to their ends,which are adapted to be secured upon the upper surfaces of parallelspaced skis.

A further object of the invention is the provision of struts of thecharacter indicated above, which are capable of uses other than theabove indicated connecting of a pair of skis, such as attachment toboats, for use as swimmers handles and the like, and safety grips andhandles, in shower stalls, towel holders, and the like.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a ski assembly of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view taken on the line22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section, on the scale of FIG- URE 2, taken on theline 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view, like FIGURE 3, taken through anotherform of strut;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a further form of strut;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 7--7 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view, like FIG- URE 3, taken througha still further form of strut; and,

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of still another form of strut.

In the drawings, and first to FIGURES l to 3, the illustrated skiassembly 10, comprises a pair of conventional water skis 12, positionedin spaced parallel relationship, and having upturned forward ends 14.Spacing and connecting the skis :12 is a strut -16.

The strut 16 comprises a relatively rigid, preferably hollow metaltubular rod 18, having non-metallic protective caps 20 secured on itsends. Resilient and relatively large diameter suction cups 2.2 aresecured to the same side of the rod 18, at locations near to the caps20.

The suction cups 22 comprise domed circular bodies 24 having concaveundersides 26, and provided with centered upstanding bosses 28.Upstanding bolts 30 have 3,264,663 Patented August 9, 1966 shanks 32centrally embedded in the bosses and reaching thereabove. The shanks 32have lateral annular anchor flanges 34, on their lower ends.

The bolts 30 extend upwardly through holes 36, formed in the side wallof the rod 18, and nuts 38, within the rod, are threaded onto the boltsand against the related surface of the side wall.

With the foregoing arrangement, the strut rod 18 and the suction cups 22are readily and quickly assembled and disassembled and application toand removal of the strut 16, relative to the skis, is quick and easy.

The strut 16 is applied to the skis 1 2, simply by wetting the concavesurfaces 26 of and then pressing the suction cups 22 onto the uppersurfaces of the skis, at locations adjacent to their upturned forwardends 14.

Since the suction cups 22 are resilient, the skis '12 are adapted toflex, relative to the shut 16, in all directions, Without disturbing theessential and original parallelism of .the skis, in facilitation ofwater conditions and maneuvers made by the skier.

FIGURES 4 and 5 show another form of strut 16a, which differs from thatof FIGURES 1 to 3, only in the securement of the suction cups 22a to thestut rod 18a. In this instance, a cylindrical slug 38a is suitablysecured in the rod 18a, which can be made of wood, plastic, or metal.The slug 38a is formed with a threaded socket 40, which is aligned withthe rod side wall hole 36a, and the bolt 30a passes through the hole andis threaded into the socket 40.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show another form of strut 16b wherein the suction cups22b are secured to the rod 1812, by means of integral eyes 42,upstanding on the cup bosses 28b through which the rod is engaged andsuitably secured.

FIGURE 8 shows still another form of strut 120, wherein rigid tubularelbows 44 are employed to secure the suction cups 220 to the strut rod180. The elbows 44 comprise horizontal arms 46 and vertical arms 48. Thehorizontal arms 46 are pressed over the ends of the rod and suitablysecured in place, as by means of spray cement. The bosses 280 of thesuction cups are en gaged in the outer ends of the vertical arms 48, ofthe elbows 44, and are suitably secured in place, as by means of cement50 FIGURE 9 shows a further form of strut 12d, which diflers from thatof FIGURES 1 to 3 and 4 and 5, only in that a tubular float 52, ofsuitable material, such as cork, is sleeved on the strut rod 18d andsuitably secured in place, at the midlength point of the rod. The float5-2 serves-to increase the :buoyancy of the strut 12d sufficiently toassure its floating in water should the strut become disconnected fromthe skis 12.

Although there have been shown and described preferred forms of theinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarilyconfined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of andin the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated asbeing within the scope of the invention as defined by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ski assembly including a pair of skis normally disposed inside-by-side laterally-spaced parallelism, means for maintaining saidparallelism while preserving flex ibility in the maneuverability of saidskis, said means including an elongated rigid strut having opposed ends,said strut extending transversely between said skis and having an endthereof juxtaposed with respectt-oveach ski, and resilient, flexible andcompressible vacuum means mounted on each end of said strut to eifect areleasable vacuum connection of said strut with the immediately adjacentone of said skis.

2. In a ski assembly including a pair of skis norm-ally disposed inside-by-side laterally-spaced parallelism, means for maintaining saidparallelism including an elongated substantially rigid strut having apair of opposed ends, a flexible suction cup for each end of said strut,teach-suction cup being formed of a resilient, flexible and compressiblematerial and having opposed substantially. congruent normallyvertically-spaced concave-eonvexsides, means rigidly-connecting the apexend .of the convex side of each suction cup with, respectively, one ofsaid ends of said strut at a common side thereof, and said concave sideof each of said suction cups each being 4x engaged, respectively, withrasidei'of one ,of said skis to eiIect a releasable vacuum connectiontherebetween;

References Cited by thez'Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,753 6/1938Cornell L 248-206 X- 2,133,020 1 10/1938 Fehrenbach 2455-206X 2,277,9813/1942 Horton 248-206 X 2,561,188 7/ 1 Ferguson 248-206 X 3,066,32812/1962 Jones 93 10 3,084,354 4/ 1963 Lunenschloss 99 X' 3,119,1311/1964 Yoder 9310 FOREIGN PATENTS 821,162 11/1951 Germany. 524,813 8/1940 Great Britain;

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examinen ALFRED E. CORRIGAN, Examiner.

1. IN A SKI ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PAIR OF SKIS NORMALLY DISPOSED INSIDE-BY-SIDE LATERALLY-SPACED PARALLELISM, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAIDPARALLELISM WHILE PRESERVING FLEXIBILITY IN THE MANEUVERABILITY OF SAIDSKIS, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED RIGID STRUT HAVING OPPOSED ENDS,SAID STRUT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN SAID SKIS AND HAVING AN ENDTHEREOF JUXTAPOSED WITH RESPECT TO EACH SKI, AND RESILIENT, FLEXIBLE ANDCOMPRESSIBLE VACUUM MEANS MOUNTED ON EACH END OF SAID STRUT TO EFFECT ARELEASABLE VACUUM CONNECTION OF SAID STRUT WITH THE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENTONE OF SAID SKIS.